Don’t Put Your TV Above Your Fireplace, Seriously

Worst place to add yours A new TV it is above your hearth. I completely understand that it may seem like a logical place, and in many rooms, it is the easiest way. Many interior designers even say that it is the best place since TVs and fireplaces are often the focal points of the room. Despite all that, though, it’s a bad idea.

Placing your TV too high, and above a heat source, can not only significantly reduce its picture quality, but may shorten the life of your TV, and lead to possible physical pain. Even if you don’t use your fireplace, this placement is about as bad as you can get as it is often WAY too high for you to be comfortable looking at.

If you are still if you think after that introduction, you know how to get power and signal (HDMI or wireless) to the TV? How do you mount it on brick or stone? This is a concern too but it is very manageable. In fact, however, you should avoid these potential problems and not install the TV above the fireplace. Here is the reason.

Read more: Mounting a TV on your Deck? Not So Fast

1. Viewing angle: The TV above the fireplace is too high

Have you ever sat in the front row of a movie theater? Some people like it; many do not. That sore neck you get from looking at the screen? Imagine that every time you watch TV. Many people find looking at something for a long time uncomfortable. Worse, it may cause neck problems later.

It’s no surprise that one of Google’s first autocomplete results after “TV over fireplace…” is “very high.” This is not an uncommon problem.

Of course, this won’t be a problem in some rooms. The stove may be low, you may be sleeping to watch TV, you may be far enough away that you haven’t looked “up” at it. But if you have ever had back or neck problems, say from something related to work, you should think again as it can make such injuries worse.

Most of us would like to look less down on television. It’s a very natural environment (similar to what OSHA recommends for lifeguards). Ideally you should be able to maintain a neutral/comfortable neck position to watch your TV, which will vary depending on the sofa/sitting area etc.

2. Your TV will be off-axis

Most TVs on the market today are LCD. There are high-end models from LG, Sony, and Samsung available OLEDbut otherwise, regardless of the marketing name, LCD.

Most LCDs look really bad if you’re not looking at them directly. Even a few degrees below the center line, like if you were to sit on the sofa facing up to the TV, can make the image look very different than it does straight on axis.

This is easy to fix, but you will need the right equipment. Some wall mount brackets allow you to turn the TV upside down, so it faces the living area. If you insist on mounting your TV high on the wall, keep an eye out for mounts that surround the screen at least. Mounting the TV on the wall (the cheapest solution) will make your TV look worse than it would if you were viewing it at an angle.

OLED TVs like the LG C2 tech look much better at no-angles than standard LCD televisions. Sure, OLED TVs are expensive, but if your room needs decent seating and you want high picture quality, it might be worth the investment.

Read our LG OLED C2 Series 2022 review.

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3. Heat and humidity will damage your TV

There is nothing worse in an electronic product than heat. (OK, maybe water or kicking it would be worse, but you get my point.) Raising the operating temperature of a TV can shorten what should be a fun and reliable life.

Even worse, soot from the fire can get into the TV housing, doing nothing good. Worse, the damage will build up slowly over time, not instantly, so the TV will fail sooner than it would otherwise but beyond the length of your warranty.

This will not be a problem for everyone. If you don’t, or can’t, use your fireplace, then this won’t be a problem. A gas fireplace may not have soot, but if the wall above it is warm to the touch, that heat will warm your TV. There are many people who say they have mounted their TV above a working fireplace and “had no problem.” But the correct addition to that statement is “for now.”

4. Where should you mount it?

Many rooms are designed with the fireplace as the focal point and trying to fight this natural layout is a challenge. It’s worth it. At the very least, buy a TV mount that allows you to adjust the height and position of the TV. This allows you to look down at your sitting position and, ideally, lowers its overall height so you don’t have to look up. These certainly add to the cost but they are worth the bare minimum if you don’t want to rearrange your room.

We have other guides on how (and where) to mount your TV. Check it out Don’t Put Your TV There: Big Screen Placement Tips.

Bottom line

Although it is stylish and popular, mounting the TV above the fireplace is not the best option for you or your TV. Placement is a big issue, and the location and height of the TV can be important factors when it comes to picture quality.

If you think we’re in the minority with concerns about good TV placement, consider that there’s an entire subreddit with over 200,000 subscribers dedicated to bad TV placement called r/TVTooHigh. If you don’t want to take our word for it, scroll over there and see what people think.

For more TV tips and tricks, check out our recommendations TV picture settings to changewhy is it common It is not a good idea to increase the sharpness control of your television as well as the best time to buy a TV. In addition, preparation of obscure TV talk again 7 solutions to hide ugly TV cables.

Be careful: This article was first published in 2012 but is updated regularly with new links and additional information.

As well as covering audio and visual technology, Geoff conducts photo tours of cool museums and places around the world, including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, medieval castles, the famous 10,000 mile cruise and more.

Again, check Budget Travel For Dummieshis travel book, and his a best-selling sci-fi novel about submarines the size of a city. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.